


millennium bug

by nonamebut



Series: y2k [1]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: College AU, Gossip, M/M, Miscommunication, Misuse of technology, also features reply 1988 and loona's hyunjin appears, alternating povs, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-10
Updated: 2019-03-10
Packaged: 2019-11-15 01:55:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18064361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nonamebut/pseuds/nonamebut
Summary: tag yourself: the 2000 line edition.





	millennium bug

**Author's Note:**

> this fic was supposed to be 100% funny fluff, an innocent pseudo commentary on Technology TM to take my mind off stressful stuff... but my mind kinda wilded out midway... idk how to tag this tbh but if i misused any of the tags just let me know ;u;
> 
> the drama reply 1988 is mentioned quite a bit but i don't think i spoiled anything. i actually haven't seen it in a while, but if you know even just the end game of the drama i feel like you'd immediately get what i attempt to hint at throughout the fic though haha. (also there's a "freedom wall" mentioned in this first part - it's basically just a facebook page that posts stuff people anonymously submit to a form managed by the page admins!)

 

In Renjun’s defense, he’s always been a little bit receptive to the emotions of the people around him.  He can’t help it if the interest in SS Markhyuck — predictably named so by Johnny, not Renjun — is so infectious that he ends up indulging in the gossip.

Mark and Donghyuck are among his closest friends, Renjun reasons to himself.  Of course he’d be concerned about the progress of their relationship.

“We get it, Renjun,” Taeil says, but not unkindly.  “You don’t need to explain yourself. Just tell us what you know!”

Renjun takes a sip of the milk tea Johnny bought for him in exchange for the information. Taeil and Johnny crowd even closer, even if there’s a lot more space left on the steps leading to the campus sports center.

“Okay, but… I’m warning you, I still don’t think what happened is that big of a deal.”  Regardless, Renjun starts to recount the Markhyuck Moment he observed just this morning.

Renjun was walking everyone’s favorite scholarship kid, the one and only Lee Donghyuck, to his next class. Nothing unusual happening there.  Donghyuck was clinging onto his arm and ranting about that drama he’s watching with Jaemin and Doyoung, going on about how no one else believes that Park Bogum’s character is the end game.

“I’m not watching it, but even I can see that there’s better chemistry with the other lead,” Renjun started to protest, but Donghyuck was no longer looking his way.  The tips of Donghyuck’s ears were pink as he waved at an approaching figure.

It was Mark, who was now leaning into Donghyuck’s personal space. Renjun has to stop telling the story because in real time Johnny gasps dramatically, always ready to clown Mark and all his (unintentional) attempts to woo Donghyuck.  Taeil has to kick at him a few times before Johnny lets it go.

So, Mark brought out his phone, right?  (Who cares if it’s an android, Johnny hyung.)  He started showing Donghyuck one of those cheesy confessions from their college’s Facebook Freedom Wall.  The anonymous submitter who always signs off their posts with the lion emoji sent another long winded ode to the object of their unrequited affection.  This time it focused on one of their crush’s supposed best features: his angelic voice.

‘His voice sounds like home,’ the post concluded, and despite the sappiness, the honest declaration of love still amassed over four hundred heart reactions.

“Oh, I know that post!”  When Taeil smiles, it’s uncharacteristically shy.  “Taeyong tagged me in the comments.” This time, Johnny’s the one who has to kick at Taeil.

“Anyway, even you guys could guess what Donghyuck said,” Renjun continues.

Donghyuck had said that the confession could use some work, and Mark scoffed even though he wasn’t really annoyed.  Donghyuck kept playing along and pinched the older boy’s cheek. “I think it could be a lot more romantic if Mr. Lion Emoji just said it to Angel Voice’s face,” Donghyuck said before running off to his next class, “but that’s just my opinion.”

Taeil and Johnny start gushing over Mark’s been so chill with skinship and aegyo from Donghyuck lately, but Renjun has a strange feeling that they’re all missing out on something very important.

“Do you think Mark’s smart enough to get it if I made an indirect about him?  Someone needs to make him confess already!”

“Nah.  He wouldn’t get it even if you straight up ‘at’-ed him.”  Taeil starts to shake his head but seems to have an epiphany.  “Maybe instead of tweeting it, you should make your own Freedom Wall post?”

Johnny claps a hand on Taeil’s back and the two of them start scheming over Johnny’s iPhone, taking turns typing into the submission box.

Chewing on the last of the tapioca, Renjun shakes his now empty plastic cup.  “How did you guys even know where I was, anyway?”

Johnny’s laugh sounds more diabolical than it should, the light of his phone casting weird shadows on his face.  “You tweeted about suffering through another phys ed course, so we guessed you’d be here.”

“Huh.”  In Renjun’s defense, no one can blame him for being just a little bit susceptible if all his friends are even more nosy than he is.

 

○ ● ○ ● ○

 

Now that Jaemin’s found friends to watch all the latest drama with, he doesn’t have much reason to live tweet his feelings anymore.  He finds himself watching less YouTube analyses, too, more fond of listening to the theories his new drama gang has come up with.

Why bother when he has Donghyuck, whose funny quips and wild insights are no match for the reactors he used to retweet religiously?  Who else could nail an argument better than Doyoung, who could really get heated when it came to suspicious dialogue and other possible foreshadowing elements?

It’s hard to want for more, with how Jaemin’s been craving for some kind of connection.  The vast internet felt like a void at times. Like shouting into the nothingness.

But maybe Jaemin’s just being dramatic.  (It’s not like he can help it — he’s a theatre kid, after all.)

Today’s episode is yet another exercise in dramatics; Jaemin’s particularly moved by the second lead’s fight for the main character’s affections.  He’s not on #TeamBogum (sorry, Donghyuck), but he’s got to admit that the recent developments are definitely in Bogum’s favor.

“Taek’s all grown up!” Doyoung looks up from his phone to coo at the screen.  Leave it to Kim Doyoung to only pay attention to the parts he deems important.  “If Hyeri doesn’t want him, can I have him instead?”

Donghyuck grumbles, sitting up and lifting his head from Jaemin’s lap.  “Shut up, hyung. I was Team Taek since the beginning!”

“You were on to something, Donghyuck.”  Jaemin doesn’t want another ship war to happen, so he tries to come up with a distraction real quick.  “We didn’t understand then, but now… our our eyes have been opened.”

Jaemin watches Doyoung scroll through his timeline, passing through the same block of tweets he was looking at the last time Jaemin looked over his hyung’s shoulder.  “Ugh, now I can’t help but feel even worse, though,” says Doyoung when the commercials start playing. “I don’t want my son’s heart to be broken!”

Donghyuck sighs dreamily, no longer fazed by the implication that Taek isn’t the end game.  He’s got the same look on his face as the time that the upside down Taek kiss scene happened.  “Imagine having a love like that, though…” he trails off.

“Ha, couldn’t be me.”  Doyoung snorts. “Besides, I still think their relationship wouldn’t last a month.”

Donghyuck doesn’t look too offended as he defends his OTP, so Jaemin leaves him to it and opens up his phone.  “The Taek route is very realistic!” Jaemin tunes Donghyuck out as he looks for a certain blue icon. “Their kind of relationship really can last long…”

Jaemin may have found friends to watch all the latest drama with, but every now and then he still falls into the habit of opening up the familiar bird app to type out a reaction or two.  ‘i think i understand why our full sun’s so in love with bogum now,’ he types carelessly. ‘bogum’s so unexpectedly attentive!’

He locks his phone once the commercial block ends and they’re all transported back to Ssangmun-dong.  Jaemin gushes over the cast’s fresh acting, Donghyuck drops some more one liners, and Doyoung takes note of all the OSTs used in the episode for later decoding.

Jaemin only checks his phone again when the credits rolls, and he’s surprised to see a wall of notifications.

“What the fuck?  What happened when we were watching?”

Doyoung stretches from his spot on the floor, leaning his back on the couch Jaemin and Donghyuck claimed.  Donghyuck gives Doyoung’s hair a few pats as their hyung explains. “It’s just everyone being extra. Johnny started it, as usual.”

Ohhhh.  “The clown Mark agenda never sleeps, does it?”

“Stop being so mean, guys,” Donghyuck says unexpectedly.  Doyoung and Jaemin share an incredulous look before glancing at Donghyuck.  “Seriously! Give the guy a break. He’s just doing his best…” He gestures vaguely.  “You know?”

Doyoung sounds unconvinced.  “If you say so.”

As Jaemin reads the tweets aloud to the other two, he can’t help but feel like he’s started something terribly, terribly bad on accident. (Which isn’t that bad, but Jaemin would rather be aware of his moments of evil genius while it happens, thank you very much.)

 

**Taeyong** @tytrack

i think it’s really fitting that our donghyuck likes bogum’s character. only bright sunshines like hyeri & haechan can bring out the best in people like bogum

 

**jae** @0214

isn’t Bogum the guy that’s kinda like @capablee

 

**stream noir** @lelecity

guys please i was actually STRESSED i hate you all i thought love wasn’t REAL anymore

 

🐰 @kimdy

Guys, Bogum = Park Bogum. As in, the actor.  He’s the lead that Donghyuck wants to end up with the protagonist.

 

**Moon Taeil** @emptymoon

@fullsun who is this bogum and do i need to punch him?  is he treating you well?

 

**j** @jccofficial

oh my god mark you lost your chance someone took your mans

 

Jaemin scrolls past Taeyong’s comment to type a reply to Jaehyun’s tweet.  ‘i think you’re onto something there,’ he says, and even though all of this is happening on the internet it still feels like he’s one of the gossiping mothers of Ssangmun-dong.  ‘bet it’s gonna take 2 months for them to make the connection themselves tho.’

Eventually Doyoung leaves to bring Donghyuck home before his weird parents get unnecessarily mad over missing curfew.  His friend has always been pretty secretive about his family, but Jaemin likes to think he’s not one to judge or pry.

 

○ ● ○ ● ○

 

“Hyunjin,” Jeno whines, collapsing on the floor once Taeyong concludes today’s practice. “I’m going to actually die.”

“Stop being such a wimp,” Hyunjin says goodnaturedly.  “We can go to the engineering building to pet the cats that hang out there if you get your energy back!”

Jeno perks up at the thought of chilling with the campus cats and Hyunjin laughs.  She’s about to make another comment, probably to tease him about who else they might see at the engineering building, but Jeno’s spared from her wrath by the hyung who collapses beside him.

“Mark oppa, are you okay?” Hyunjin usually puts up a calm disposition in front of their dance club seniors but the look on Mark’s face is very… concerning.  Hyunjin’s frown deepens. “Is it because of Do—”

“Shhh!” Jeno didn’t think it was possible but Mark’s face gets even pinker.  “Hyunjin, please.”

“Oh, oops.”  She doesn’t look very apologetic.

“Hyung, what’s going on?”

Taeyong must sense Jeno’s growing distress because he says, “It’s fine, Jeno,” and types a bit more on his phone before concluding, “It’s just one of Mark’s scheduled breakdowns.”

Jeno nods solemnly.  He’s been witness to plenty of Renjun’s freakouts before, of the storm cloud of stress and doom that seems follow most engineering students.  Mark is no exception, it seems.

“And Mark,” Taeyong adds.  “I keep telling you this, but you’re going to be fine. You don’t need to be nervous.”  Jeno’s doesn’t really get it when Taeyong says something about the strength of friendship allowing everything to work out, but Jeno assumes it’s about some group project.  Probably?

Hyunjin gives Mark a thumbs up.  “I’m cheering for you guys!” She smiles. “Just be honest and it’ll all work out.”

“I don’t know what this is about, but you know I’m always here for you, hyung!” Jeno pipes up, not wanting one of his favorite people in the world to keep moping.

For some reason, Hyunjin laughs. “Yeah, you always are, aren’t you?”  The way she talks makes it sound like Jeno’s the only one in the room that’s not in on the joke. This kind of thing is getting pretty stale, but Jeno files it for later and makes a mental note to complain to Heejin about it because he’s petty like that.

“Yeah?  Your point… ?”

“I’m just saying… I mean, I feel like the only one you’d abandon Mark for would be, like, Donghyuck?”

Mark audibly swallows.

“Well, yeah,” Jeno says, “he’s my best friend?”

He’s the one who’s known Donghyuck the longest, after all — as his longtime childhood friend, he’s probably the one who knows Donghyuck the best, too.

Jeno thinks he’d rather die than let anyone hurt Donghyuck, who deserves only cuddles and happiness and love.  When Jeno says this aloud, Hyunjin cackles. “Hear that, Mark?”

“Stop psyching him out.”  Taeyong throws a sweaty towel their way and Hyunjin shrieks.  “Ew, okay! Okay!”

She grabs her bag and runs out of the studio, with Jeno quickly saying his goodbyes and trailing after her.

Later, when Jeno’s petting his favorite campus cat, M&M, he remembers to ask Hyunjin something he should have asked while they were still at the club room. “Why does it matter if I’m Donghyuck’s best friend if Mark’s the one who’s having trouble?”

Hyunjin gives the cat on her lap a few more scratches before she decides to show Jeno what’s on her phone.  “This why you should be more active on Twitter,” she says with a sigh.

“Why should I when I can just talk to everyone in person?” Jeno protests but reaches for the phone anyway.  The more he scrolls through Hyunjin’s timeline, the more he realizes what’s really about to happen tomorrow morning.

“Oh my god.”  When Jeno glances up after a few minutes, Hyunjin’s already looking at him, grinning.  “It’s happening?!”

Hyunjin raises a clenched fist and wipes a fake tear from her eye.  “True love is real, bitches.”

 

○ ● ○ ● ○

 

Yangyang is, in general, a very positive person.  There’s not much you can do to get him down. Many people often turn to him in times of need, wanting some of the good vibes he seems to eternally give off.

With all that in mind, Yangyang has come to learn that in the moments when he actually does find himself stressing out, it probably means whatever’s happening is a big deal.

“Guys?”  He asks nervously, a bit freaked out by the strange atmosphere of the dorm this morning.  “What’s going on?”

“Oh, hey, Yangyang.”  Lucas greets him, but his eyes are glued to his phone. “Did you sleep well?”

“I did, thanks.”  Yangyang pouts even though it’s not like any of his dorm mates would see it. “Are you guys okay?”

“We’re not okay,” Ten laments. He finally looks up from what Yangyang guesses to be his KKT app.  “Dude, check your Twitter.”

Yangyang blinks at him.  “I don’t have a Twitter, remember?”

Winwin beckons him closer to show him a tweet made by their friend Donghyuck.  ‘one word,’ the tweet declares dramatically, ‘heartbroken.’

Honestly, Yangyang isn’t that close to Donghyuck.  He knows Donghyuck’s one of the top premed students, not just in their year, and that he juggles choir and a bunch of other extracurricular activities on top of volunteer work.

(Yangyang’s also heard rumors of him being an illegitimate chaebol son and, that his family has ties with the mafia, but those sound way too much like a generic drama protagonist’s backstory to actually be real life.)

They’ve got lots of mutual friends, too, and people always tell him that he and Donghyuck are one and the same.

Thus, if Donghyuck really is anything like Yangyang, this one emo tweet must really be a big deal for him.  Yangyang feels a strong pang of sympathy.

Honestly, Yangyang isn’t that close to Donghyuck, and no amount of sympathizing and assuming can change that. But everyone else here is, and there must be something that makes everyone have the need to dote over this one boy.  Yangyang supposes that all of that is enough to join them all in their distress over some 9:55am tweet.

He wishes there that he could do something to cheer everyone up, but first, he needs more context.

“Did someone break up with him or something?”

Hendery laughs awkwardly. “Nah.  The thing is, we all thought Mark was going to confess to him this morning.”

“Yeah.”  Kun stares out the window like the good looking anime character he is.  “Well, we thought wrong.”

This time, it’s Xiaojun who shows Yangyang his phone. It’s the messenger group with all the 99 liners in it.

Yeri spammed the chat with a bunch of pictures. “Is that Mark?  Oh, he has flowers!” Yangyang even starts to smile when he realizes… “That’s… not Seulgi sunbaenim he’s with, is it?”

Everyone else in the room collectively sobs. “Romance is dead,” Lucas declares somberly, and as positive as Yangyang is, the grainy candid evidence is all too damning. Even he can’t help but silently agree.

 

○ ● ○ ● ○

 

From where he’s tucked into Mark’s blankets, Donghyuck sneezes.  Mark lifts a hand to his boyfriend’s forehead, his face scrunching up in concern.  “You don’t seem sick, so maybe it’s the flowers?”

“Mm. I don’t have any allergies though?”

Mark gives Donghyuck a little nudge and the younger makes space, wrapping the blankets around them once Mark’s settled at his side.  “I’m just gonna have to observe you for a little longer, then,” says Mark before he leans in to give Donghyuck a soft peck.

“My hero.”

The two of them sit in silence for a while, Donghyuck eventually pulling out his phone and Mark watching the butterfly fluttering outside his window.

Donghyuck starts laughing once he opens his Twitter. “Hey, hyung.  Have you checked your SNS yet today?”

“No. What’s going on?”  Mark tucks his chin on Donghyuck’s shoulder, cuddling even closer. It’s something he’d never do in public, so Donghyuck holds his tongue and lets himself savor the feeling.  Teasing Mark about his secret clinginess always makes Mark petty, sometimes refusing even private skinship for up to a week.

Donghyuck’s timeline is full of their hyungs indirectly tweeting about SS Markhyuck. (Don’t tell Johnny, but Donghyuck has always found the moniker hilarious.)  Mark makes Donghyuck take screenshots when they see even Yuta’s going through it, switching back and forth from his mother tongue to Korean.

“I think that they think you broke my heart by confessing to Seulgi noona instead.”  Donghyuck should have known that his tweet about Reply 1988 would be taken in this kind of context.

Mark giggles. “Seulgi noona?  I just wanted to ask her for advice before I invited you over.”  There's a short pause.

“What did you need the advice for anyway, hyung?”

Donghyuck still asks even though he can guess.  Mark has always been sweet on him, always secretly writing him notes to get him through his day, or sending low quality voice recordings over encrypted mode when he needed compliments and encouragements.  But the flowers — Donghyuck thinks he already knows what this is about.

“Hm, something.”  Mark seems to sense Donghyuck’s nerves because he gives him an out.  “But first, didn’t you say you wanted to tell me something, too?”

Donghyuck smiles sadly, grateful that he’s still being given a choice but so, so guilty that Mark’s being so good to him, even now.

Mark would tell him to take his time if he knew what’s going on in Donghyuck’s head, and what hurts the most is that he would mean it.

“I was thinking,” Donghyuck starts, his grin slowly morphing to something that more closely resembled his signature shit eating one.  “You know what would be fun?”

“What is it now?” Despite the exaggerated sigh he makes, Donghyuck knows Mark’s already down for it.

“Since everyone’s so invested in SS Markhyuck…”  Donghyuck bumps his nose into Mark’s cheek, lets one of Mark’s hands slip under the fabric of his hoodie and rest on his waist.  “Why don’t we give em a show?”

“So you’re saying we amp up the bro act and pretend we’re just BFFs even though we’re actually dating?”

Donghyuck pinches Mark’s ear, pretends that that’s not what they’re already doing.  “Exactly.”

As they laugh quietly, shielded from the outside world by warm blankets and soft pillows, Donghyuck marvels at how easy Mark is to love, with his patient smile, and those eyes that somehow see right through him.

One day, he hopes he can be brave enough to hold Mark’s hand for real.  Not as a clingy, touchy dongsaeng, but as Mark’s one and only boyfriend.

For now, Donghyuck takes a breath.  Lets himself be held. One day, he’ll graduate, and then he’ll make so much money that no one would care that he loves boys. There would be a day he’d prove himself to his parents, who wouldn’t dare disown him once he becomes the best psychologist Korea’s ever seen.

One day he’ll tell Mark why he sometimes cries in his sleep, why it’s so hard for him to ignore the rumors that follow him everywhere he goes.  One day he’ll tell Mark he loves him and it won’t just be their little secret.

For some of those dreams, that day might not be today, and that day might not come for a while. But Donghyuck knows this: if he can at least make Mark understand just one thing…

“Actually, hyung,” Donghyuck starts, and he surprises himself with how steady his voice is.  “There’s something I’ve wanted to tell you for a while.”

Mark smiles gently at him, and something warms in Donghyuck’s chest.

“I’m listening.”

**Author's Note:**

> this work's tmi is that i looped carly rae's emotion album as i wrote this fic (my docs title was "i wanna be the best you've ever known (just let me in your arms)" even though it's only related to the ending of this fic which wasn't even in the original outline/draft...... wild......)
> 
> if you made it this far, thanks for giving me and my fic a chance i love you! if you're also a fellow suffering student, i hope we can get through our midterms/finals in one piece. <3


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